TWI799239B - ink supply container - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an ink supply container capable of properly supplying ink to an ink tank, an ink supply system including the ink supply container, and an ink supply adapter used in the ink supply system. The ink replenishment container 63 of the present invention has: container body portion 64, and it has ink storage chamber 76; Outlet 65; valve 74, which is arranged on the ink outlet forming part, and can open and close to seal the ink outlet; and the ink outlet forming part is located on the outside and on the central axis direction of the ink outlet compared with the position of the valve on the side of the container body The positioning portion 73 abuts against a part of the ink tank side when the valve is opened to supply ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45 to position the valve relative to the ink tanks.

Description

ink supply container

The present invention relates to an ink supply container for supplying ink to an ink tank storing ink supplied to a recording device inside, an ink supply system including the ink supply container, and an ink supply kit used in the ink supply system Connector.

Conventionally, in a recording device that ejects ink to a medium and performs recording, an ink tank that stores ink inside is connected in a state where ink can be supplied. And, in this type of recording device, when the remaining amount of ink in the ink tank remains a little, the ink tank is replenished with ink from the outside using an ink supply container (for example, Patent Document 1).

[Prior Art Literature] [Patent Document]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-146021

However, the ink replenishment operation to the ink tank must be properly performed while suppressing poor ink replenishment, but such replenishment operations have conventionally been performed by users of recording devices. Therefore, in order for the user to properly perform such an ink replenishment operation, for example, further improvement is required for the ink replenishment container or the like.

The present invention has been accomplished in view of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide an ink supply container capable of properly supplying ink to an ink tank, and an ink supply system including the ink supply container And the ink supply adapter used in the ink supply system.

Hereinafter, a method for solving the above-mentioned problems and its operation and effect will be described.

The ink replenishing container that solves the above-mentioned problems is one that replenishes ink to an ink tank that can store ink inside, and includes: a container body portion that has an ink storage chamber that can accommodate ink replenished to the above-mentioned ink tank; an ink outlet forming portion, It is provided at the end of the main body of the container and is formed with an ink outlet for allowing the ink to flow out of the ink storage chamber; and a valve is provided at the ink outlet forming part and seals the ink outlet in an openable and closable manner; and The ink outlet forming part is provided with a positioning part on the outside of the ink outlet forming part and at a position on the side of the container body part that is closer to the valve than the valve in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet, and the positioning part is connected when the valve is opened. The valve is positioned relative to the ink tank by abutting against a part of the side of the ink tank.

According to this configuration, when the ink is supplied from the ink supply container to the ink tank, since the valve is opened in a position positioned relative to the ink tank, it is possible to suppress ink leakage or ink supply that may occur when the valve position is shifted when the valve is opened. If there are problems such as defects, the ink tank can be properly replenished with ink.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply container, it is preferable that the above-mentioned valve is configured by providing one or more slits on the elastic member that seals the above-mentioned ink outlet, and by pushing the slit from the outside to the inside of the above-mentioned ink outlet, And open the valve.

According to this configuration, an ink supply container with a simple structure can be provided with a small number of parts.

Further, in the above-mentioned ink supply container, it is preferable that the positioning portion is provided so as to be located outside the radial direction of the ink outlet when the ink outlet is viewed from the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet.

According to this configuration, when the ink is replenished from the ink supply container to the ink tank, since the ink supply container is facing the ink tank side with the positioning part located outside the radial direction of the ink outlet, A part is in contact, so ink supply can be performed in a stable posture.

In addition, in the ink supply container described above, it is preferable that the positioning portion is formed of a member different from the ink outlet forming portion.

According to this configuration, the positioning portion can be optimized in accordance with the design aspects of the ink tank and the ink supply container.

On the other hand, an ink supply system that solves the above-mentioned problems includes: an ink tank that includes: an ink storage chamber that can store ink; and a needle that has a flow path that communicates the inside of the ink storage chamber with the outside. and the supporting surface, which extends in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the needle at a position outside the end of the needle in the direction in which the needle extends, and the supporting surface constitutes the above-mentioned side of the above-mentioned ink tank a part; and the ink supply container with the above structure; and when the tip of the needle is inserted into the ink outlet to open the valve, the positioning part abuts against the supporting surface.

According to this configuration, when the needle of the ink tank is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink supply container to open the valve, the relative positional relationship between the valve and the needle is determined because the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against the supporting surface of the ink tank. Therefore, the valve can be more properly opened by the needle, and the occurrence of poor ink supply can be suppressed.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the above-mentioned ink tank is an area outside the needle in a radial direction centering on the above-mentioned needle, and has a concave portion opening in the direction in which the needle extends, and the above-mentioned ink supply container In a region outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet, there is a convex portion that can fit into the concave portion when the tip of the needle is inserted into the ink outlet.

According to this structure, since the needle is not inserted into the ink outlet when the convex portion of the ink supply container is not fitted into the concave portion of the ink tank, it is possible to suppress the incompatibility between the ink tank and the ink supply container. connect.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the above-mentioned ink supply container is located outside the ink outlet forming part and at a position on the side of the container main body than the above-mentioned convex part in the central axis direction of the above-mentioned ink outlet. the aforementioned positioning unit.

According to this structure, it is possible to suppress improper connection between the ink tank and the ink supply container, and ensure that the needle of the ink tank is inserted into the ink outlet of the ink supply container in an appropriate positioning state.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the tip of the above-mentioned ink tank and the above-mentioned needle be located on the side of the ink storage chamber from the above-mentioned supporting surface.

According to this configuration, since the end of the needle of the ink tank protrudes outward from the supporting surface, even if ink adheres to the end of the needle, the risk of the ink adhering to the user performing the ink replenishment operation can be reduced. Hazard for hands or ink resupply containers.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the above-mentioned flow channel of the above-mentioned needle includes two flow channels in which the end openings of each flow channel are arranged in a radial direction with the above-mentioned needle as the center, and in one flow When one channel functions as an ink flow channel for circulating ink, the other channel functions as an air channel for circulating air.

According to this configuration, when the ink supply container is connected to the ink tank in a state in which the direction extending from the needle is inclined along the radial direction of the two flow channels, the ink outlet of the ink supply container is the first among the two flow channels. One of the flow channels on the adjacent side functions as an ink flow channel, and the other flow channel functions as an air flow channel. Therefore, since the user can use any one of the two flow paths as the ink flow path, he does not hesitate to choose which flow path to use as the ink flow path, and the ink replenishment operation can be quickly performed.

Furthermore, another ink replenishment system that solves the above-mentioned problems has: an ink tank, which has: an ink storage chamber for storing ink; an ink inlet for allowing ink to flow into the ink storage chamber; and a recess formed on the outer side of the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet. area; and an ink supply container, which has: an ink storage chamber, which can accommodate the ink replenished to the above-mentioned ink tank; an ink outlet, which can flow the above-mentioned ink from the ink storage chamber; and a convex part, which can be embedded with the above-mentioned concave part. The ink groove is formed on the outer side of the ink outlet in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet; and the ink groove is provided with a first unevenness on the bottom side of the inner surface of the concave portion than the opening edge of the concave portion. The above-mentioned ink supply container is provided with a second concave-convex portion on the above-mentioned convex portion that can be engaged with the above-mentioned first concave-convex portion of the above-mentioned ink tank.

According to this configuration, the convex portion of the ink supply container is fitted into the concave portion of the ink tank, and the second concave-convex portion on the outer surface of the convex portion is engaged with the first concave-convex portion on the inner surface of the concave portion, so that the user can recognize the Connect a suitable ink supply container to the ink tank. Therefore, improper connection of the ink tank and the ink supply container can be suppressed. Also, since the first concave-convex portion is located on the bottom side of the opening edge of the concave portion in the inner surface of the concave portion of the ink tank, it is easy for the ink supply container to guide its convex portion from the opening side of the concave portion of the ink tank to the bottom side. This insertion work can be easily performed.

Also, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the above-mentioned ink tank is arranged as follows: the depth direction of the above-mentioned concave part is the central axis direction of the above-mentioned ink inlet, and the above-mentioned first concave-convex part is along the depth of the above-mentioned concave part on the inner surface of the above-mentioned concave part The above-mentioned ink supply container is connected to the above-mentioned ink inlet when the above-mentioned convex part is fitted into the above-mentioned concave part, and the above-mentioned second concave-convex part is fastened to the above-mentioned first concave-convex part.

According to this configuration, as the convex portion fits into the concave portion, the second concave-convex portion on the outer surface of the convex portion of the ink supply container extends along the depth direction of the concave portion on the inner surface of the concave portion of the ink tank. The provided first concavo-convex part is snapped together, so that the connection direction of the ink outlet of the ink supply container relative to the ink inlet of the ink tank can be easily recognized.

Also, in the above ink supply system, it is preferable that the depth direction of the recessed portion of the ink tank is a direction crossing the horizontal direction and heading downward from above when the ink outlet is connected to the ink inlet.

According to this configuration, in the state where the ink outlet of the ink supply container is connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, the ink can be prevented from returning to the ink storage chamber from the ink outlet of the ink supply container, and the ink can be properly supplied from the ink supply container to the ink tank. Carry out ink replenishment work.

Moreover, another ink replenishment system that solves the above-mentioned problems has: an ink tank, which has: an ink storage chamber, which can store ink, and an ink inlet, which can flow ink into the ink storage chamber; and a plurality of first ink storage chambers. 1 Fitting parts, which are formed in such a way that the area outside the ink inlet in the radiation direction centered on the ink inlet is point-symmetrical about the ink inlet; and the ink supply container, which has: an ink storage chamber that can accommodate the ink replenished to the ink tank; an ink outlet that can discharge the ink from the ink storage chamber; and a second fitting portion that can be fitted with the first fitting portion An area outside the ink outlet in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet.

According to this configuration, even when the second fitting portion of the ink supply container is fitted into any one of the plurality of first fitting portions formed point-symmetrically with the ink inlet in the ink tank, the The ink outlet of the ink supply container is connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, so that the ink supply container can be easily connected to the ink tank during ink supply.

Furthermore, another ink supply system that solves the above-mentioned problems includes: an ink tank, which has: an ink storage chamber, which can store ink, and an ink inlet, which can flow ink into the ink storage chamber; and a first embedded A coupling portion formed in an area outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet; and an ink supply container, which includes: an ink storage chamber that can accommodate ink replenished to the ink tank; ink outlet, which can take the above ink from the ink storage chamber outflow; and a second fitting portion, which can be fitted with the first fitting portion and is formed in an area outside the ink outlet in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet; The first part of the information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber, the ink supply container has a second part indicating the information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber, the first part and the second part It is provided at a position where it can be seen from the outside when the second fitting portion of the ink supply container is fitted into the first fitting portion of the ink tank.

According to this configuration, when the ink supply container is connected to the ink tank to perform ink supply, it is possible to easily confirm whether the supplied ink is appropriate or not by visually checking the first part and the second part.

Furthermore, another ink supply system that solves the above-mentioned problems has: an ink tank, which has: an ink storage chamber, which can store ink; an ink inlet, which can flow ink into the ink storage chamber; and a recess, which Formed in an area outside the ink inlet in a radial direction centered on the ink inlet; and an ink supply container, which has: an ink storage chamber that can accommodate ink replenished to the ink tank; an ink outlet that can The above-mentioned ink flows out from the ink storage chamber; and a convex portion, which can be fitted with the above-mentioned concave portion, is formed in an area outside the ink outlet in a radial direction centered on the ink outlet; and the above-mentioned ink supply container is The protrusion protrudes in a direction opposite to the ink storage chamber than the ink outlet in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet.

According to this structure, when the ink is replenished, since the convex part of the ink replenishment container is more protruding than the ink outlet, it is possible to reduce the risk of the ink outlet touching the user's hand or the peripheral part of the ink tank, and it is possible to suppress ink adhesion. And pollution occurs.

Conversely, the ink outlet may protrude further in the direction opposite to the ink storage chamber than the convex portion in the direction of the central axis. In this case, it is easier to visually recognize the ink outlet when the ink is replenished.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the above-mentioned ink supply container is the above-mentioned protrusion It is formed to protrude outward from the outer peripheral surface of the container body part in which the ink storage chamber is provided in a radial direction centering on the ink outlet.

According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize the convex portion when looking at the ink supply container, and can easily fit the convex portion of the ink supply container to the concave portion of the ink tank when replenishing ink. As a result, incorrect connection of the ink supply container to the ink tank can be reduced.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply system, it is preferable that the above-mentioned ink supply container is such that the above-mentioned convex portion is formed on the inner side of the outer peripheral surface of the container body portion in which the above-mentioned ink storage chamber is provided in the radial direction centering on the above-mentioned ink outlet. .

According to this configuration, when the ink outlet of the ink supply container is connected to the ink inlet of the ink tank, the convex portion of the ink supply container is less likely to be an obstacle.

Furthermore, the ink supply adapter that solves the above-mentioned problems is used to connect the above-mentioned ink supply container and the above-mentioned ink tank when supplying ink from the ink supply container to the ink tank. The plurality of ink tanks in the ink storage chamber that can store ink are fastened together in a collective state; the plurality of ink inlets are used to store the ink flowing from the ink outlet of the above-mentioned ink supply container to the above-mentioned ink. The indoor inflow mode is provided in each of the above-mentioned ink tanks; and a plurality of identification parts are provided in each of the plurality of the above-mentioned ink inlets, and can identify the above-mentioned ink supply having the above-mentioned ink outlet connectable to the ink inlet container.

According to this configuration, if the ink tanks are made into a general-purpose common structure, and the plurality of ink tanks are engaged with the tank engaging parts of the replenishment adapter in a state, it can be easily achieved during ink replenishment. A structure that prevents incorrect installation of the ink supply container.

Furthermore, another adapter for ink supply that solves the above-mentioned problems is mounted on the above-mentioned ink tank in the state of replenishing ink from the ink supply container to the ink tank, and has: an inlet forming part that can be inserted into the ink tank. The above-mentioned ink flows into the ink storage chamber installed in the above-mentioned ink tank The ink inlet channel part of the above-mentioned ink tank is arranged in a formula, and surrounds at least a part of the periphery of the above-mentioned ink inlet channel part; the adapter side positioning part can be buckled with the groove side positioning part of the above ink tank, And the above-mentioned ink supply adapter is positioned for the above-mentioned ink tank; and the identification part can identify the above-mentioned ink supply container having an ink outlet connectable to the above-mentioned ink inlet channel part.

According to this configuration, since the ink supply adapter is positioned with respect to the ink tank, positional displacement between the ink inlet channel portion provided in the ink tank and the inlet forming portion provided in the ink supply adapter is suppressed. Therefore, ink can be properly replenished from the ink replenishment container to the ink tank via the ink replenishment adapter.

In addition, in the above-mentioned ink supply adapter, preferably, a plurality of the inlet forming parts, a plurality of the identification parts corresponding to the inlet forming parts, and a plurality of the adapter side positioning parts are integrally formed.

According to this configuration, since the inlet forming portion, the identifying portion, and the adapter-side positioning portion are integrally formed, the ink supply adapter can be manufactured more easily than when these are formed separately.

4-4: Line

5-5: Line

10-10: line

11-11: Line

14: Composite machine

15: Image reading device

16: Operation department

17: Display part

18: Operation panel

19: Rotating mechanism

21: Recording device

22: shell

23: Support Desk

24: guide shaft

25: Recording head

26: Bracket

27: Support hole

28: Drive wheel

29: driven wheel

30: Bracket motor

31: Timing belt

32: outlet

33: Discharging the tray

34: to the carton

35: open and close the door

36:Rotary axis

37: window

40: ink supply unit

41: ink tank

42: ink tank

43: ink tank

44: ink tank

45: ink tank

46: Ink supply tube

47: Adapter for ink supply

48: Step Department

49: ink storage room

50: Department of Visual Recognition

51: upper limit mark

52: Lower limit mark

53: Ink inlet

54: Runner

55: Runner

56: Needle (ink inlet runner part)

57: Residual amount sensor

58: Upper surface (supporting surface)

59: Lower surface (groove fastening part)

60: Through hole

61: Recessed part (1st fitting part)

62: 1st concavo-convex part (recognition part)

63: Ink supply container

64: container body

65: Ink outlet

66: Ink outlet forming part

67: container attachment

68: cap

69: Male thread part

70:Protrusion

71: Convex part (second fitting part)

72: 2nd concavo-convex part

73: Positioning Department

74: valve

75: Slit

76: Ink storage room

77: Neck

78: Male thread part

79: Large diameter department

80: Small diameter department

80a: rough noodles

81: middle part

82: female thread part

83: Joint

90: cap support member

91: junction

92: Barrel

93: Export runner

94: end face

95: elastic cap

100: unit cover

102: support

103: flange part

111: top surface

112: side

113: Groove side positioning part

114: bottom wall

115: a pair of side walls

116: protrusion

117: clapboard

119:Entrance forming part

120: Through hole

121: Adapter side positioning part

122: a pair of ribs

123: absorbent material

123a: round hole

124: film

125: fixed part

126: Displacement part

127: Connecting part

129: Ditch

130: Annular convex part

132a: Recognize the convex part

132b: Recognition of convex part

132c: Recognition of convex part

134: Mounting surface

135: sealing part

135a: inner surface

136: Angle

A: Centerline

B: Interval

C: Interval

D: Straight line

E: area

P: paper

IK: Ink

L1: distance

L2: Distance

F27-F27: line

F28-F28: line

Fig. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a recording device in a see-through state.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an ink supply unit provided in a housing of the recording device.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the ink supply unit.

Fig. 4 is a partial broken sectional view of the 4-4 line arrow in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a partial broken sectional view of the 5-5 line arrow in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the ink supply container with the cap removed.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the ink supply container.

Fig. 8 is a front view of the ink supply container.

Figure 9 is a top view of the ink supply container.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of line 10-10 of Fig. 9 .

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of line 11-11 of Fig. 9 .

Fig. 12 is a partially broken front view showing the state before the ink tank is replenished with ink.

Fig. 13 is a partially broken side view showing the state before the ink tank is replenished with ink.

Fig. 14 is a partially broken front view showing the state in which the ink tank is being replenished with ink.

Fig. 15 is a partially broken side view showing the state in which the ink tank is being replenished with ink.

Fig. 16 is a partially broken front view showing the state where the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against the supporting surface on the side of the ink tank during ink supply.

Fig. 17 is a partially broken side view showing the state where the positioning portion of the ink supply container abuts against the supporting surface on the side of the ink tank during ink supply.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of a multifunction peripheral including a recording device according to a second embodiment.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the multifunction device showing the state of replenishing ink to the ink tank.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a state in which the casing of the ink supply unit is removed.

Fig. 21 is a partial perspective view of the ink tank.

Figure 22 is a partial top view of the ink tank.

Fig. 23 is a partial perspective view of the ink supply unit.

Fig. 24 is a partial top view of the ink supply unit.

Fig. 25 is a perspective view viewed from the lower surface side of the ink supply adapter.

Figure 26 is a bottom view of the adapter for ink replenishment.

Fig. 27 is the cross-sectional view of the arrow F27-F27 in Fig. 23.

Fig. 28 is a cross-sectional view of the line F28-F28 of Fig. 23 .

Fig. 29 is a side view of an ink supply container of a modification.

Fig. 30 is a front view of an ink supply container of a modification.

Fig. 31 is a perspective view of an ink supply container of another variation.

Fig. 32 is a perspective view of an ink supply unit of a modification.

Fig. 33 is a perspective view of an ink supply adapter of a modification.

Fig. 34 is a partial perspective view of an ink supply container of a variation.

Fig. 35 is a plan view of the ink outlet and the second concavo-convex portion of the modification.

Fig. 36 is a partial cross-sectional view of an ink supply container and a cap of a modification.

Fig. 37 is a schematic sectional view of an ink outlet and a sealing portion of a modification.

Fig. 38 is a sectional view showing an ink outlet forming portion.

Fig. 39 is a sectional view showing an ink outlet forming portion, a valve and a holder.

(first embodiment)

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the recording device will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the recording device of this embodiment is an inkjet printer that records (prints) an image or the like on a medium by ejecting ink onto the medium.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the recording device 21 includes a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped housing 22 whose longitudinal direction is the left-right direction. In addition, FIG. 1 schematically shows the inside of the casing 22 of the recording device 21 in a perspective state. In the lower part near the rear in the housing 22, the support platform 23 with the left-right direction as the long-side direction is used for its The upper surface is arranged along a substantially horizontal direction. Paper P, which is an example of a medium, is supported on the upper surface of the support table 23, and is conveyed toward the front in the conveyance direction. Also, a guide shaft 24 extending in the left-right direction is erected above the support table 23 in the casing 22, and a carriage 26 having a recording head 25 for ejecting ink on the lower surface side is supported on the guide shaft 24. That is, the bracket 26 is supported in a state where the guide shaft 24 is inserted into the support hole 27 penetrating in the left-right direction, and is freely reciprocated in the left-right direction with respect to the guide shaft 24 .

Also, in the housing 22, a drive wheel 28 and a driven wheel 29 are rotatably supported at positions corresponding to the vicinity of both ends of the guide shaft 24, respectively. The output shaft of the bracket motor 30 is connected to the driving wheel 28 , and an endless timing belt 31 partially connected to the bracket 26 is wound between the driving wheel 28 and the driven wheel 29 . And, when the carriage 26 is guided by the guide shaft 24 via the timing belt 31 by the carriage motor 30 and moves back and forth along the left-right direction relative to the scanning direction of the paper P, the bottom surface side of the carriage 26 The recording head 25 ejects ink to the paper P conveyed forward on the support table 23 .

Also, as shown in FIG. 1 , a position on the front side of the housing 22 that becomes the front side of the support table 23 is opened so that when the paper P is conveyed on the support table 23 in the housing 22 , by the self-recording head 25 The paper P on which ink is ejected and recorded is discharged toward the front side through the rectangular discharge port 32 . At the discharge port 32, a rectangular plate-shaped discharge tray 33 capable of supporting the paper P discharged from the casing 22 is provided so as to be freely moved forward in the discharge direction. Further, in the discharge port 32 , on the lower side of the discharge tray 33 , a paper feed cassette 34 capable of storing a plurality of sheets of recording paper P in a stacked state is detachably installed in the front-rear direction.

Also, as shown in FIG. 1 , on the front of the casing 22 and at the end side (the right end side in FIG. 1 ) in the left-right direction relative to the discharge port 32 , the front and upper surfaces are formed in a rectangular shape and on the right side. The opening and closing door 35 having a right-angled triangle shape is freely opened and closed in the forward and backward direction with the rotating shaft 36 arranged at the lower end along the left and right direction as the center of rotation. On the front of the opening and closing door 35, a The rectangular window portion 37 made of a transparent member allows the user to view the inside of the casing 22 (especially the inside of the front side of the door 35 ) when the door 35 is closed.

In the housing 22 of the recording device 21, an ink supply unit for supplying ink to the recording head 25 is accommodated at a position inside the opening and closing door 35, that is, a position close to the front and close to the end (in this case, close to the right end). 40. The ink supply unit 40 is a structure that includes a plurality of (five in this embodiment) ink tanks 41 to 45 and can be processed integrally, and can supply ink to each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 as described later.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the ink supply unit 40 is configured to include: five ink tanks 41 to 45 in the shape of a box that are long in the front and rear direction, and five ink supply tubes drawn from the rear side of each ink tank 41 to 45 46. A cuboid-shaped ink supply adapter 47 for assembling these ink tanks 41-45 collectively. The ink supply adapter 47 is installed on the step formed by cutting off the front half of the upper part of all the ink tanks 41-45 in the state where all the ink tanks 41-45 are arranged horizontally in the left-right direction in the thickness direction. The difference part 48 is thereby integrated with the ink tanks 41-45. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , the ink supply tubes 46 drawn from the ink tanks 41 to 45 are connected to ink flow channels (not shown) formed in the carriage 26, and connected to the recording head 25 through the ink flow channels. In addition, the ink supply adapter 47 can be a part of the casing 22 covering the ink tanks 41-45, or can be integrally formed with the ink tanks 41-45.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the ink tanks 41 to 45 have an ink storage chamber 49 for storing the ink IK inside them. In the case of the present embodiment, black ink is stored in the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tank 41 located at the right end in the horizontal arrangement direction thereof. And, in the ink storage chamber 49 of other each ink tank 42～45 that is arranged in the ink tank 41 of the right end more on the left side on its lateral arrangement direction, store the color (blue-green, magenta, yellow) other than black. etc.) ink. Also, in the ink tanks 41 to 45, the front wall portion can be viewed through the window portion 37 on the front side of the housing 22, and a visual recognition device is provided. The liquid surface of the ink IK in the ink storage chamber 49 is a viewing portion 50 formed of transparent resin. And, on this visible portion 50, there is a mark indicating the upper limit standard of the liquid level of the ink IK stored in the ink storage chamber 49 (an example of the standard of the amount of ink that can prevent the ink from overflowing from the ink inlet 53). An upper limit mark 51 and a lower limit mark 52 representing a lower limit standard (for example, a standard for prompting ink replenishment).

As shown in FIG. 4 , on the upper side of the horizontal portion of the step portion 48 in the ink tanks 41 to 45 , an ink inlet 53 that can flow ink into the ink storage chamber 49 from the outside is provided. The ink inlet 53 includes a needle 56 extending vertically upward, which has flow paths 54 and 55 communicating the inside and outside of the ink storage chamber 49 . The flow channels 54, 55 of the needle 56 include two flow channels 54, 55 whose respective end openings are arranged in a radial direction centered on the needle 56, and one of the two flow channels 54, 55 (shown in FIG. 4 The flow channel 54 on the right side) is formed so that the height of the end opening is lower and the cross-sectional area of the flow channel is larger than that of the other flow channel 55 (on the left side in FIG. 4 ). In addition, a remaining amount sensor 57 for detecting the remaining amount of the ink IK in the ink storage chamber 49 is provided at the lower rear portion of the ink storage chamber 49 . In addition, the remaining amount sensor 57 may not be provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 , the ink supply adapter 47 is formed as follows: the upper surface 58 is set as a horizontal plane along the direction perpendicular (crossing) to the extending direction of the needle 56, and the upper surface 58 is formed on the upper surface 58. There is a through hole 60 penetrating to the lower surface 59 in the vertical direction as an ink inlet forming portion. The through hole 60 includes: the circular hole-shaped ink inlet 53 with the needle 56 arranged in the center, and a pair of rectangular holes connected to the front and rear of the ink inlet 53, and the openings on the lower side are formed in the ink tanks 41-45. Cover the horizontal portion of the step portion 48 where the needle 56 protrudes upward.

Therefore, in the through hole 60, the area outside the ink inlet 53 in the radial direction centered on the ink inlet 53 can be extended in the direction in which the needle 56 extends by covering the lower opening of the front and rear pair of rectangular holes. A pair of front and rear concave portions 61 opened on the upper side are formed in a point-symmetrical manner with the ink inlet 53 as the center, and are concavely formed with the vertical direction as the depth direction. That is, in conjunction with the ink tanks 41 to 45 In the integrated ink supply adapter 47, in the area outside the ink inlet 53 including the needle 56, there are formed a plurality of them point-symmetrically with the ink inlet 53 as the center (in this case, two pairs in front and back). Recess 61 . In addition, in this case, the end of the needle 56 disposed at the center of the circular hole-shaped ink inlet 53 is more than the ink supply adapter 47 at the opening edge of the through hole 60 including the ink inlet 53 and the concave portion 61. The upper surface 58 is located closer to the ink chamber 49 side. That is, the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 is located outside the tip of the needle 56 in the direction in which the needle 56 extends, and extends in a direction intersecting the direction in which the needle 56 extends. On the other hand, the lower surface 59 of the ink supply adapter 47 functions as a tank fastening portion for collectively fastening the plurality of ink tanks 41-45 arranged laterally in the left-right direction from the upper side.

Also, the peripheral portion of the upper opening edge of each through-hole 60 in the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 is colored in a specific color. That is, it is colored in the same color as the ink stored in the ink storage chambers 49 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 through which the ink flows through the ink inlet 53 of the through hole 60 . Based on this point, the peripheral portion of the upper side opening edge of each through hole 60 of the ink supply adapter 47 is used as the interior of the ink tanks 41-45 that communicate with the ink inlet 53 of the through hole 60 and the ink storage chamber 49. Information about the stored ink is displayed on the exterior part 1 of the function. Incidentally, the peripheral portion of the upper opening of the through hole 60 for disposing the ink inlet 53 communicating with the ink storage chamber 49 of the ink tank 41 storing black ink is colored black.

Also, on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 (specifically, on the inner side surface along the up-down direction), at a position on the bottom surface side (that is, on the horizontal portion side of the step portion 48 ) than the upper side opening edge of the concave portion 61 , A first concave-convex portion (first key structure portion) 62 having a characteristic concave-convex shape in the horizontal direction is provided extending along the depth direction of the concave portion 61 (in other words, the central axis direction of the ink inlet 53). As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the first concavo-convex portion 62 is provided for each ink inlet 53 of a plurality (five in this embodiment) of the ink tanks 41 to 45 . Therefore, in the ink replenishment adapter 47, when formed with each ink The rectangular recesses 61 of the respective through-holes 60 corresponding to the respective positions of the water tanks 41-45 in the up-down direction are formed in each of the through-holes 60 with the first concave-convex portion 62 provided on the inner surface of the recesses 61 of the other through-holes 60 Different first concavo-convex portion 62 . That is, these first concave-convex portions 62 are recognizable as an ink supply container 63 (refer to FIG. Figure 6, etc.) function of the recognition unit. In addition, "a position on the bottom side of the upper opening edge of the recessed part 61" means a position that is slightly receded from the opening edge to the bottom side.

Here, the ink supply container 63 that constitutes an ink supply system together with the ink tanks 41 to 45 and that supplies ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45 that have a small amount of remaining ink will be described next.

As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the ink supply container 63 is provided with: a cylindrical container body portion 64, which becomes the main body of the ink supply container; an ink outlet forming portion 66, which is provided at the end portion of the container body portion 64, and An ink outlet 65 for the ink from the ink supply container 63 to flow out is formed at the end opening; The ink outlet 65 of the ink outlet forming part 66 includes the container attachment part 67 around it, and is covered by a bottomed cylindrical cap 68, whereby the ink supply container 63 is hidden from the outside when the ink supply container 63 is stored. That is, a male thread portion 69 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical lower end portion of the container attachment portion 67, and a female thread portion (not shown) is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the cap 68. By using The female thread portion of the cap 68 is screwed to the male thread portion 69 of the container attachment portion 67 , and the cap 68 is attached so as to cover the ink outlet 65 with respect to the end portion of the ink supply container 63 .

In addition, the entire outer surface of the container attaching portion 67 is colored in a specific color. That is, it is colored in the same color as the ink contained in the container body portion 64 to which the container attachment portion 67 is added. In this regard, the container attaching portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 functions as a second portion outside the display of information related to the ink stored in the ink supply container 63 . Attached one Note that the outer surface of the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 for storing black ink is colored black. In addition, a plurality of (four in this embodiment) protrusions 70 are formed at equal angular intervals (90° intervals as an example) on the outer peripheral surfaces of the container body 64 and the base end of the cap 68 . Incidentally, these projections 70 are formed to prevent the cylindrical ink supply container 63 from rolling. Furthermore, for example, the container body portion 64 of the ink supply container 63 containing black ink may be formed thicker than the container body portion 64 of the ink supply container 63 containing other colors. In this case, the ink outlet forming portion 66 may have the same thickness and shape as those for black ink and inks of other colors.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8 , in the outer peripheral surface of the container additional portion 67, the upper part of the cylindrical lower end portion formed with the male thread portion 69 is formed in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65. The area outside the ink outlet 65 is formed with a convex portion 71 that protrudes more than the ink outlet 65 toward the direction opposite to the container body 64 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 . This convex portion 71 is used as a first fitting portion for fitting the concave portion 61 on the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 when the end of the needle 56 on the ink inlet 53 side is inserted into the ink outlet 65. The second fitting portion functions as a pair of recessed portions 61 sandwiching the ink inlet 53 from the front and rear, and is provided in a pair with the ink outlet 65 from the front and rear. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , the convex portion 71 is formed on the inner side of the outer peripheral surface of the container body portion 64 in the ink supply container 63 in the radial direction centering on the ink outlet 65 .

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 9 , on the outer surface of each convex portion 71 (the left and right sides in FIGS. 6 and 9 ), an inner surface that can be formed on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 formed in the ink supply adapter 47 is formed. The first concavo-convex part (first key structure part) 62 is fastened with the second concavo-convex part (second key structure part) 72. The second concave-convex portion 72 is provided in such a manner as to extend along the protruding direction of the convex portion 71 (in other words, the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65). Fastened to the first concave-convex part 62 In this case, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 on the side of the ink tanks 41-45.

Also, when the ink outlet 65 is viewed from the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 between the cylindrical lower end portion of the container attachment portion 67 formed with the male thread portion 69 and the convex portion 71 formed with the second concave-convex portion 72 Positioning outside the radial direction of the ink outlet 65 is provided with a planar positioning portion 73 that is perpendicular to (intersects) the central axis of the ink outlet 65 . That is, the positioning portion 73 constitutes a part of the outer surface of the ink supply container 63, that is, a part of the outer surface of the container attachment portion 67, and is arranged on the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 at a position closer to the container body than the end of the convex portion 71. The position on the side of part 64. And, since this positioning portion 73 is provided in the container attachment portion 67 attached to the ink outlet forming portion 66 in the ink supply container 63, it can be said that it is a structure different from the ink outlet forming portion 66, and is the ink outlet forming portion 66. The composition of the outer side.

Also, as shown in FIG. 9, in the ink outlet 65 formed in the ink outlet forming portion 66, a valve 74 made of an elastic member such as a silicon film is provided to openably and closably seal the ink outlet 65. In addition, the valve 74 is provided in the direction of the center axis of the ink outlet 65 at a position farther from the container body 64 than the positioning portion 73 (see, for example, FIG. 14 ). In addition, the valve 74 is provided with a plurality of (three in this embodiment) slits 75 intersecting at equal angular intervals (for example, 120-degree intervals) around the center of the valve 74 . The slit 75 is formed in such a way that the ink outlet 65 is pushed from the outside to the inside to open the valve. That is, when the end of the needle 56 on the side of the ink inlet 53 is inserted into the ink outlet 65, the normally closed valve, that is, the valve 74, is pushed inward with the end of the needle 56 to open the valve.

And, at this time, on the outside of the radial direction of the ink outlet 65, the positioning portion 73 abuts against the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 on which the through hole 60 including the ink inlet 53 and the concave portion 61 is formed, and the ink The direction of the central axis of the outlet 65 positions the valve 74 relative to the ink tanks 41-45. In this regard, the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 is used to replenish the ink tanks 41-45. When the valve 74 of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is opened for ink supply, the part of the ink tank 41 to 45 that the positioning part 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against is used as a stop for the positioning part 73 of the planar shape. The bearing surface functions.

In addition, the valve 74 may also be formed as shown in FIGS. 38 and 39 . The ink outlet forming portion 66 is provided with a valve 74 and a holder 102 as shown in FIG. 38 . The valve 74 seals the ink outlet 65 openably and closably. In the ink outlet forming part 66 , the valve 74 is provided in the lead-out flow path 93 , and seals the ink outlet 65 from the lead-out flow path 93 so as to be openable and closable. The valve 74 is made of an elastic material such as rubber or elastomer, and seals the ink outlet 65 in a state where no external force acts. If the needle 56 of the ink tanks 41-45 used as a connecting pipe is inserted into the ink outlet 65, and then the valve 74 is opened by applying a pressing force to the valve 74 through the needle 56. Then, when the needle 56 as the connection tube is pulled out from the ink outlet 65 and the external force acting on the valve 74 is released, the valve 74 is closed.

The valve 74 and the holder 102 are configured to be separable from the ink outlet forming portion 66 as shown in FIG. 39 . That is, the ink outlet forming portion 66, the valve 74, and the holder 102 are constituted as separate bodies. The valve 74 is inserted into the outlet flow path 93 from the joint portion 91 side of the ink outlet forming portion 66 . The support 102 is a component for restricting the falling of the valve 74, and as shown in FIG. The holder 102 is also inserted into the outlet flow path 93 from the joint portion 91 side of the ink outlet forming portion 66 . The valve 74 is sandwiched between the holder 102 and the flange portion 103 of the ink outlet forming portion 66 . Thereby, the ink outlet forming part 66, the valve 74, and the holder 102 are integrally assembled. In addition, the flange portion 103 is a wall extending from the inner surface of the cylindrical portion 92 toward the inner diameter direction of the cylindrical portion 92 . The surface of the flange portion 103 opposite to the coupling portion 91 side corresponds to the end surface 94 .

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the container body portion 64 of the ink supply container 63 is a bottle-shaped member having an ink storage chamber 76 capable of storing the ink IK inside, and the neck portion 77 at the upper end thereof has an outer periphery. A male thread portion 78 is formed on the surface. On the other hand, the ink outlet forming portion 66 provided at the upper end of the container body portion 64 has a large diameter portion 79 located on the neck portion 77 of the container body portion 64 The outer peripheral side; the small-diameter portion 80 , which forms the ink outlet 65 at the position farthest from the container body portion 64 ; and the middle portion 81 , which connects the large-diameter portion 79 and the small-diameter portion 80 . And, the ink outlet forming part 66 is attached by screwing the female screw part 82 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the large diameter part 79 to the male screw part 78 formed on the outer peripheral surface of the neck 77 of the container body part 64. on the upper end of the container body portion 64 .

Also, in the ink outlet forming portion 66 of the ink supply container 63, the container attachment portion 67 added in a manner to surround the ink outlet 65 is formed to join the lower end surface of the cylindrical lower end portion of the male thread portion 69 on its outer peripheral surface. The joint portion 83 on the upper end surface of the large diameter portion 79 of the ink outlet forming portion 66 . The joint portion 83 is the large area of the inner peripheral surface facing the front-to-back direction and the front side outer surface and the rear side outer surface of the middle portion 81 of the ink outlet formation portion 66 in a state of surface contact, and is joined to the outlet formation portion 66. Diameter portion 79.

Next, the operation of the ink supply system configured as above will be described below focusing on the operation of supplying ink to the ink tanks 41 to 45 of the ink supply unit 40 using the ink supply container 63 .

In addition, as a premise, as shown in FIG. 2 , the liquid level of the ink in the ink tank 41 of the rightmost black ink among the plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 arranged horizontally is reduced to the level marked on the visual recognition portion 50. The height of the lower limit mark 52 at the lower part is described below for the situation of replenishing ink to the ink tank 41 . In addition, it is assumed that enough black ink is stored in the ink supply container 63 for ink supply, and that the cap 68 has been removed from the ink supply container 63 in advance. Furthermore, the shape of the second concave-convex portion 72 formed on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is the same as the shape of the first concave-convex portion 62 formed on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 before and after the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41. The shapes are the same, and can be snapped together with the insertion of the convex portion 71 into the concave portion 61 .

In addition, when replenishing ink to the ink tank 41, first, the user opens the housing 22 The closing door 35 is turned forward from the closed state shown in FIG. 1 around the rotation shaft 36 to be in the open state. In this way, the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 of the ink supply unit 40 formed with the ink inlets 53 leading to the ink tanks 41-45 is exposed outside the housing 22, so the user can adjust the desired The ink inlet 53 is connected to the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 from above.

Here, as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the user turns the ink supply container 63 containing the black ink used for ink supply upside down, and the ink outlet 65 is positioned at the rightmost through hole 60 of the adapter 47 for ink supply. The above method is maintained. That is, the central axis of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is aligned with the central axis of the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 to be supplied with ink. At this time, the user observes and compares the color (second part) colored by the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 held by the hand, and the through hole 60 provided with the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41 which is the ink supply object at this time. The color of the color around the edge of the upper opening (Part 1). And if the color of each is the same (in this case, each other is black), it is confirmed that what is kept on hand is the ink supply container 63 suitable for this ink supply, and moves to the follow-up operation of ink supply.

Then, lower the ink supply container 63 from the state shown in FIGS. In this way, by realizing the state where the convex portion 71 is inserted into the concave portion 61 , a state in which the central axis of the ink outlet 65 coincides with the central axis of the ink inlet 53 is ensured. In this case, since the concave portion 61 is in a point-symmetrical position with respect to the needle 56 which is the center of the ink inlet 53 , the convex portion 71 can be inserted into any concave portion 61 . Therefore, there is no need to make the ink supply container 63 rotate multiple times around the central axis of the ink outlet 65 to determine the positional relationship between the concave portion 61 and the convex portion 71, so the user can easily insert the convex portion 71 into the concave portion 61.

However, at this point, the convex portion 71 is only slightly inserted into the concave portion 61, and the tip of the needle 56 positioned at the center of the ink inlet 53 is also inserted into the opening of the ink outlet 65 slightly protruding from the tip of the convex portion 71. In the mouth, but not to the valve 74 located deep inside the ink outlet 65. Its reason is: as shown in Figure 13, the distance L2 between the end of the convex portion 71 and the valve 74 in the ink outlet 65 is longer than the distance L2 between the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 where the opening edge of the concave portion 61 is located and the inside of the concave portion 61. This is due to the distance L1 between the upper end of the first concavo-convex portion 62 . Here, when the convex portion 71 is further inserted downward in the depth direction of the concave portion 61 from this state, the second concave-convex portion 72 on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 engages with the first concave-convex portion 62 on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 . And, if this fastening state is maintained, and the convex portion 71 is further inserted toward the bottom surface side in the depth direction of the concave portion 61, the tip of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 reaches the position of the valve 74 of the ink outlet 65, and the valve 74 Open the valve.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 , the slit 75 is pushed open from the bottom to the top of the valve 74 (that is, from the outside to the inside of the ink outlet 65 ) by the end of the needle 56, and the valve 74 is set to open valve state. As a result, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 of the ink tank 41, and black ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tank 41. At this time, among the two flow paths 54, 55 of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53, the flow path that makes the valve 74 open and the end opening first contacts the ink flowing out from the ink outlet 65 is used as an ink flow path for the ink to circulate. Function, the other flow channel functions as an air flow channel for air circulation. For example, if the user intends to connect the ink supply container 63 with the ink inlet 53 to the ink outlet 65 in an inclined state, according to the difference in the direction of the inclination, one of the two flow paths 54, 55 becomes the flow path of the ink flow path. also changed.

In addition, when the second concave-convex portion 72 is not engaged with the first concave-convex portion 62 after the convex portion 71 is inserted into the concave portion 61, at this point in time, the user can recognize whether the ink supply container of a color other than black is mistaken. 63 inserted. In this case, if it is assumed that the upper end of the first concave-convex portion 62 is at the same height as the opening edge of the concave portion 61, then not only the engagement of the second concave-convex portion 72 to the first concave-convex portion 62 is hindered, but also the convex portion 71 is also obstructed to the insertion of concave portion 61, therefore, although the user tries repeatedly Trying to insert the convex portion 71 into the concave portion 61 will only waste working time needlessly. In this regard, in this embodiment, since the height of the first concave-convex portion 62 is lower than the opening edge of the concave portion 61, when the convex portion 71 is inserted into the concave portion 61, it is easy to be guided toward the bottom surface side in the depth direction of the concave portion 61, and it is also suppressed. Homework time increases unnecessarily.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, Figure 16 and Figure 17, when the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 on the side of the ink tank 41 makes the valve 74 in the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 open, the ink supply container 63 is positioned The portion 73 is in contact with the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 , which is a portion on the side of the ink tank 41 . That is, the ink supply container 63 is positioned relative to the needle 56 on the side of the ink tank 41 in the central axis direction of the ink outlet 65 by the positioning portion 73 abutting against the upper surface 58 of the adapter 47 for ink supply. state opens valve 74.

Also, at this time, since the positioning portion 73 is positioned outside the radial direction of the ink outlet 65, the ink supply container 63 stably maintains the posture in which the ink outlet 65 is connected to the ink inlet 53. Also, as shown in Figures 14 and 15, when the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, the ink inlet where the base end of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 is located There is a gap between the bottom surface of the ink supply container 63 and the end of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 . Therefore, although the bottom surface where the base end of the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 is located tends to stagnate ink, the ink so stagnated will adhere to the end of the ink outlet 65 and also avoid polluting the ink supply container 63 .

Next, as shown in Figure 14 and Figure 16, when the ink supply from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tank 41 is completed, if the liquid level of the ink in the ink tank 41 is still lower than the upper limit mark 51 of the visual recognition part 50 At this time, the same black ink supply container 63 can be used to further replenish the ink until the upper limit mark 51 is reached. In addition, the above ink replenishment operation is also performed in the same way when the ink tanks 42 to 45 of other colors than the ink tank 41 for black ink are used.

According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) When ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 , the valve 74 is opened in a state of being positioned relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45 . Therefore, it is possible to suppress defects such as ink leakage and poor ink supply that may occur when the valve 74 is displaced when the valve is opened, and ink can be properly supplied to the ink tanks 41 to 45 .

(2) Since the valve 74 is constituted by a slit valve in which one or more slits 75 are provided on an elastic member including a silicon membrane, the ink supply container 63 with a simple structure can be provided with a small number of parts.

(3) When ink is replenished from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41-45, the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 is positioned on the outside of the ink outlet 65 in the radial direction relative to the ink tank 41-45 side. Contact, so ink replenishment can be performed in a stable posture.

(4) In the ink supply container 63, since the positioning portion 73 is arranged on the container additional portion 67 which is a different component from the ink outlet forming portion 66, it can be matched with the design of the ink tanks 41-45 and the ink supply container 63. The positioning unit 73 is used as an optimizer.

(5) When the needle 56 of the ink tank 41-45 is inserted into the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 to open the valve 74, the positioning part 73 of the ink supply container 63 abuts against the ink tank 41-45 as ink supply The supporting surface of the container 63 functions as the upper surface 58 of the adapter 47 for ink supply to determine the relative positional relationship between the valve 74 and the needle 56 . Therefore, the valve 74 can be properly opened by the needle 56, and the occurrence of insufficient ink supply can be suppressed.

(6) When replenishing ink, the needle 56 is not inserted into the ink outlet 65 in a state where the convex portion 71 of the ink replenishing container 63 is not fitted into the concave portion 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, so that the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be suppressed. Improper connection to the ink supply container 63.

(7) The ink supply container 63 is provided with a positioning portion 73 on the outside of the ink outlet forming portion 66 and at a position closer to the container body portion 64 than the convex portion 71 in the central axis direction of the ink outlet 65 . because This can suppress the unsuitable connection between the ink tanks 41-45 and the ink supply container 63, and ensure that the needles 56 of the ink tanks 41-45 are inserted into the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 in an appropriate positioning state.

(8) Also, since the needles 56 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are not protruding outward from the supporting surface of the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63, that is, the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47, it is possible to In the case where the ink adheres to the tip of the needle 56, it is also possible to reduce the possibility that the ink adheres to the user's hand or the ink replenishment container 63 during the ink replenishment operation.

(9) When the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink tanks 41 to 45 in a state in which the direction extending from the needle 56 is inclined along the radial direction in which the two flow paths 54, 55 are arranged, the two flow paths 54, 55 One of the channels on the side where the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 approaches first functions as an ink channel, and the other channel functions as an air channel. Therefore, since the user can use any one of the two flow paths 54, 55 as the ink flow path, the user does not hesitate to choose which flow path to use as the ink flow path, and the ink replenishment operation can be quickly performed.

(10) Fit the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 into the concave portion 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, and make the second concave-convex portion 72 on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 engage with the first concave-convex portion on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 62, whereby the user can recognize that the ink tanks 41-45 have been connected to the appropriate ink supply container 63. Therefore, improper connection between the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the ink supply container 63 can be suppressed. Moreover, since the first concave-convex portion 62 is located on the bottom side of the opening edge of the concave portion 61 in the inner surface of the concave portion 61 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 is easy to move from the ink tanks 41 to 45. The opening side of the concave portion 61 of 45 is guided toward the bottom side, so that the insertion work can be easily performed.

(11) With the fitting of the convex portion 71 to the concave portion 61, the second concave-convex portion 72 (second key structure portion) on the outer surface of the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 can be aligned along the depth direction of the concave portion 61 The extended mode is arranged on the first concave-convex part (first key structure part) 62 on the inner surface of the concave part 61 of the ink tanks 41~45 combine. As a result, the direction in which the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be easily recognized.

(12) Since the depth direction of the recess 61 arranged on the outside of the radial direction of the ink inlet 53 is toward the vertically downward direction, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41-45. In this state, ink can be prevented from returning to the ink storage chamber 76 from the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 . As a result, ink supply from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be properly performed.

(13) The ink supply container 63 is to make the convex portion (second fitting portion) 71 fit into the plurality of concave portions (first fitting portion) formed symmetrically with the ink inlet 53 as the center point in the ink tanks 41 to 45 In the case of any one of 61, the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 can still be connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41-45. Therefore, the work of connecting the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be easily performed when supplying ink.

(14) The color of the peripheral portion of the ink inlet 53 of the ink supply adapter 47 of the ink tanks 41-45 functions as the first part of the information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 49, The color colored by the container attachment portion 67 of the ink supply container 63 functions as a second part indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink storage chamber 76 . Therefore, when the ink supply container 63 is connected to the ink tanks 41 to 45 to supply ink, it can be easily confirmed by visually recognizing the first part on the side of the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the second part on the side of the ink supply container 63. Whether the supplied ink is suitable.

(15) Since the ink supply container 63 has its convex portion 71 formed on the inside of the outer peripheral surface of the container body portion 64 where the ink storage chamber 76 is provided in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65, the ink supply container When the ink outlet 65 of 63 is connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 can hardly become an obstacle.

(16) The adapter 47 for ink supply makes the lower surface (tank engaging portion) 59 side engage with a plurality of ink tanks 41 to 45 in a collective state, and has a plurality of first concave-convex portions (identification portions) 62 , which can be used to identify the ink supply container 63 having the ink outlet 65 connectable to the ink inlet 53 of each ink tank 41-45. Therefore, as long as the ink tanks 41-45 are set as a general-purpose common structure, and the plurality of ink tanks 41-45 are collectively made to fasten the lower surface 59 of the ink supply adapter 47 as the tank engaging part. In combination, a simple structure capable of suppressing incorrect mounting of the ink supply container 63 during ink supply can be easily realized.

(Second Embodiment)

Next, a second embodiment of the recording device will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the positioning of the ink tank and the ink supply adapter in the second embodiment is different from that in the first embodiment. In addition, since the other points are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment, overlapping descriptions will be omitted by attaching the same symbols to the same configurations.

As shown in FIG. 18 , the multifunction peripheral 14 is provided with a recording device 21 and an image reading device 15 disposed on the recording device 21 and covering the upper side of the recording device 21 , and has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. An operation panel 18 is provided on the front side (front side) of the recording device 21. The operation panel 18 has an operation section 16 for performing various operations of the multifunction machine 14, such as buttons, and displays information on the recording device 21 and the multifunction machine 14. The display unit 17 etc. Furthermore, on the right side of the operation panel 18, an ink supply unit 40 is provided.

As shown in FIG. 19 , the image reading device 15 is attached via a rotating mechanism 19 such as a hinge provided on the rear side (back side). The image reading device 15 can be opened and closed relative to the recording device 21, and rotates between the closed position shown in FIG. 18 and the open position shown in FIG. 19 . And, if the image reading device 15 is located at the open position, the unit cover 100 and the elastic cap 95 of the ink supply unit 40 can be opened and closed. In the case of replenishing ink to the ink tanks 41-45 (refer to FIG. 20), as shown in FIG. 19, the image reading device Set 15, the unit cover 100, and the elastic cap 95 at the open position, and connect the ink supply container 63 to the ink supply adapter 47 and the ink tanks 41-45. That is, the ink supply adapter 47 is attached so as to be positioned on the ink tanks 41 to 45 in a state where ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 . In other words, the ink supply adapter 47 is connected between the ink supply container 63 and the ink tanks 41 to 45 when the ink is supplied from the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 .

As shown in FIG. 20 , in the ink supply unit 40 , two types of ink tanks 41 to 45 with different amounts of ink that can be accommodated are arranged side by side with the thickness direction as the left-right direction. In addition, although the ink tank 41 with a large storage capacity and the ink tanks 42 to 45 with a small storage capacity are different in thickness, other configurations are the same. Therefore, in the ink tanks 41 to 45 , the same symbols are attached to the common configurations, and the overlapping descriptions are omitted.

The needles 56 are formed to protrude upward from the top surfaces 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 . And, on the side surface 112 on the side (front side) of the viewing part 50 intersecting with the top surface 111, a groove side positioning part 113 is provided so as to protrude forward. The tank-side positioning portions 113 of the ink tanks 41-45 are located at approximately the same position in the vertical direction, and the intervals between the tank-side positioning portions 113 of adjacent ink tanks 41-45 are approximately the same.

On the top surfaces 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, an absorber 123 that is substantially rectangular in plan view and capable of absorbing ink is provided. A plurality of (six in this embodiment) circular holes 123a are formed in the absorbent material 123 . In addition, the absorbing material 123 is attached to the ink tanks 41 to 45 in such a manner that each needle 56 is inserted through the round hole 123a, and the film 124 that seals the opening of the ink tanks 41 to 45 protrudes upward from the top surface 111. The part is folded. Moreover, the absorber 123 may be set to the size which covers the whole top surface 111 (refer FIG. 28).

As shown in Fig. 21 and Fig. 22, the groove side positioning part 113 has: a bottom wall 114, which is provided in a manner protruding from the side surface 112 at a position lower than the top surface 111; and a pair of side walls 115, which protrude from the bottom wall 114 is erected towards the top. Moreover, the groove-side positioning portion 113 is provided in such a manner as to open toward the front and upward.

In addition, on the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41 to 45, at the position adjacent to the front end of the tank side positioning portion 113, a protruding portion 116 for supporting the ink supply adapter 47 is provided. Moreover, the protruding portion 116 is also disposed on the rear end of the top surface 111 . In other words, a pair of protrusions 116 are provided at both ends of the top surface 111 in the front-rear direction with the needle 56 interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIG. 22 , inside the cylindrical needle 56 , a partition 117 extending in the vertical direction is provided at the central position in the front-rear direction. And, the flow paths 54 and 55 are divided by the partition plate 117 . Therefore, the flow paths 54 and 55 of this embodiment are formed so that the height and cross-sectional area of the end openings are substantially equal. Also, the needles 56 are provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45 so as to allow ink to flow into the ink storage chambers 49 provided in the ink tanks 41 to 45 .

Next, the ink supply adapter 47 will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 23 and 24 , the ink supply adapter 47 includes an inlet forming portion 119 surrounding at least a part of the needle 56 as an example of an ink inlet flow path. The inlet forming part 119 is arranged on the upper surface 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 in a row in the left-right direction (five in the same number as the ink tanks 41-45 in this embodiment). The inlet forming portion 119 of this embodiment is a bottomed recess, and its shape is substantially the same as that of the through hole 60 (see FIG. 3 ) in plan view. Furthermore, the ink supply adapter 47 has a first concave-convex portion 62 which is an example of an identification portion that can identify the ink supply container 63 having the ink outlet 65 connectable to the needle 56 . The first concavo-convex portion 62 of the present embodiment is provided so as to erect a convex portion from the bottom surface of the inlet forming portion 119 .

As shown in FIG. 24 , on the bottom surface of each inlet forming portion 119 , an insertion hole 120 through which the needle 56 can be inserted is formed. The diameter of the insertion hole 120 is larger than that of the needle 56 , and a gap is provided between the needle 56 and the insertion hole 120 . Therefore, when the ink leaks from the ink supply container 63 or the needle 56, the leakage The ink will be absorbed by the absorbent material 123 through the gap between the insertion hole 120 and the needle 56 .

As shown in FIGS. 25 and 26 , on the lower surface 59 of the ink supply adapter 47 , an adapter side positioning portion 121 for positioning the ink supply adapter 47 relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45 is provided. The adapter side positioning part 121 can be fastened with the tank side positioning part 113 provided on the ink tanks 41~45, and on the front side of the insertion hole 120, a plurality of them are arranged in a row in the left and right direction (in this embodiment) 5 of the same number as the ink tanks 41 to 45). Moreover, the intervals between the plurality of adapter-side positioning portions 121 in the left-right direction are substantially equal to the intervals in the left-right direction of the tank-side positioning portions 113 included in the ink tanks 41-45.

Furthermore, on the lower surface 59 of the ink supply adapter 47, a plurality of sets (five sets in this embodiment) are arranged side by side in the left-right direction, and a pair of ribs 122 are arranged at intervals in the front-back direction. The distance between the pair of ribs 122 in the front-back direction is substantially equal to the size of the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41-45. Moreover, one adapter-side positioning portion 121 and one rib portion 122 are provided on both sides of one insertion hole 120 in the left-right direction. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 26 , the distance B between the centerline A passing through the center of the insertion hole 120 along the front-rear direction and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 is approximately equal to the distance C between the centerline A and the rib 122 . Moreover, the corners of the adapter-side positioning portion 121 and the rib portion 122 are chamfered.

As shown in Fig. 24 and Fig. 25, the adapter 47 for ink replenishment and a plurality of inlet forming parts 119, the first concave-convex part 62 corresponding to the plurality of inlet forming parts 119, a plurality of adapter side positioning parts 121, and The plural sets of ribs 122 are integrally formed.

Next, the operation of the ink supply adapter 47 configured as above will be described.

As shown in Figures 27 and 28, if the ink supply adapter 47 is installed in the ink tanks 41 to 45 so that the needle 56 is inserted through the insertion hole 120 of the ink supply adapter 47, the The connector-side positioning portion 121 is engaged with the groove-side positioning portion 113 . Specifically, the adapter-side positioning portion 121 is positioned in the left-right direction by entering between the side walls 115 of the slot-side positioning portion 113 . In addition, ink replenishment The connector 47 is positioned in the front-rear direction by sandwiching the ink tanks 41 to 45 from the front and rear sides by the ribs 122 . Furthermore, the ink supply adapter 47 positioned relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45 is fixed to the housing 22 with screws (not shown).

Moreover, the absorbing material 123 provided between the ink supply adapter 47 and the top surface 111 of the ink tanks 41-45 may also be provided in each of the ink tanks 41-45. In addition, the absorbing material 123 may also be provided to extend from the top surface 111 to the side surface 112 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 (only the part corresponding to the ink tank 45 is shown in FIG. 27 ).

According to the above-mentioned second embodiment, in addition to the effects (1) to (16) of the above-mentioned first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

(17) Since the ink supply adapter 47 is positioned relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45, the position of the needle 56 provided on the ink tanks 41 to 45 and the inlet forming portion 119 provided on the ink supply adapter 47 is suppressed. offset. Therefore, ink can be appropriately replenished from the ink replenishment container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 via the ink replenishment adapter 47 .

(18) Since the inlet forming portion 119, the first concave-convex portion 62, and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 are integrally formed, the ink supply adapter 47 can be manufactured more easily than when these are formed separately.

In addition, the above-mentioned embodiment can also be changed as follows.

． As shown in FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 , the ink supply container 63 may also protrude from the end of the convex portion 71 in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet 65 to the opposite side of the container body 64 than the ink outlet 65 . According to this configuration, since the convex portion 71 protrudes more than the ink outlet 65 in the ink supply container 63 during ink supply, the risk of the ink outlet 65 touching the user's hand or the peripheral portion of the ink supply container 63 can be reduced. , can suppress contamination due to ink adhesion.

． As shown in Figure 31, if the ink supply container 63 is on the central axis direction of the ink outlet 65 74 is located on the side of the container body part 64, and has a positioning part 73 that abuts against a part of the side of the ink tanks 41-45 to position the valve relative to the ink tanks 41-45 when the ink is replenished to the ink tanks 41-45. Then the convex portion 71 can be omitted. In addition, in this case, the recessed part 61 may not be provided in the ink tank 41-45 side.

． As a modification example shown in FIG. 32 , the ink supply unit 40 may be configured to normally close the ink inlet 53 . That is, the ink supply unit 40 of this modification includes a rod-shaped cap support member 90 for each of the plurality of ink inlets 53 . The base end portion of the cap holding member 90 is rotatably supported by a rotation shaft 91 provided on the ink supply fitting so as to extend in a direction (horizontal direction) intersecting the central axis of the ink inlet 53. The upper surface 58 of the device 47. On the front end side of the center of each cap supporting member 90 in the longitudinal direction, an elastic cap 95 having a shape that can be fitted to the ink inlet 53 is provided, and the cap supporting member 90 is usually placed on the elastic cap 95. Fitted in the closed state of the ink inlet 53. And, when the ink is replenished, the elastic cap 95 is fitted to the ink inlet 53 and the cap support member 90 in the closed state is applied to the curved handle portion 93 at the front end by the user, and the elastic cap is moved toward the elastic cap. 95 is tilted in an open state separated from the ink inlet 53. In addition, as shown in FIG. 32 , a unit cover 100 collectively covering the upper part of the plurality of cap support members 90 may be further freely opened and closed. Furthermore, the elastic cap 95 is formed of an elastic material such as an elastomer, and the cap support member 90 is formed of a material having higher rigidity than the elastic cap 95 , such as polystyrene or ABS resin.

． As a modification example shown in FIG. 33 , the ink supply adapter 47 may also be installed in the ink supply unit 40 so as to be movable relative to the ink tanks 41 to 44 . That is, the adapter 47 for ink supply has: a fixed part 125, which is fixed to the casing 22; a displacement part 126, which can be displaced relative to the ink tanks 41-44; and a connecting part 127, which connects the fixed part 125 and the displacement part. 126. In addition, the connecting portion 127 can be deformed, and the displacement portion 126 can be displaced in a direction intersecting with the vertical direction in which the needle 56 extends. Therefore, the displacement part 126 can be displaced in a state where the ink supply container 63 is engaged with the inlet forming portion 119, so that the ink supply container 63 and the needle 56 can move relatively. Therefore, since the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 can be easily aligned with the needle 56, the risk of ink leakage can be reduced.

． As a modification shown in FIG. 34 , a groove portion 129 may be formed at the end of the ink outlet 65 . Furthermore, at least one (two in this modification) annular protrusions 130 may be formed along the outer periphery of the small diameter portion 80 between the end of the ink outlet 65 and the positioning portion 73 . By providing the groove portion 129 , when the ink supply container 63 for supplying ink is erected relative to the ink tanks 41 to 45 , the risk of ink dripping from the ink outlet 65 can be reduced. Moreover, by providing the annular convex portion 130 , even when the ink is dripping from the ink outlet 65 , the ink can be intercepted.

． As shown in the modification example of Figure 35, the convex portion 71 forming a pair can be divided into a plurality of (six in this modification example) regions E along a straight line D passing through the center of the ink outlet 65, and by setting The identification protrusions 132 a to 132 c of each area E constitute the second concave-convex portion 72 . In addition, in this modification example, the second concave-convex portion 72 is constituted by three types of identification convex portions 132a to 132c. Specifically, the length from the straight line D to the side surface of the convex portion 71 can be longer than the first identification convex portion 132a, the second identification convex portion 132b shorter than the first identification convex portion 132a, and the second identification convex portion shorter than the second identification convex portion. The third identification protrusions 132c of 132b are arbitrarily combined to form the second concave-convex portion 72 . By increasing the number of regions E or identifying the types of the convex portions 132a-132c, the pattern of the second concave-convex portion 72 can be increased to match the amount or type of ink.

． As a variation shown in FIG. 36, the small-diameter portion 80 may be formed of a transparent or translucent material. Furthermore, the inner surface of the diameter portion 80, and the surface closer to the ink storage chamber 76 than the valve 74, may be a rough surface 80a to which concavities and convexities are added by, for example, embossing. The rough surface 80a is prone to ink residue due to its high wettability, so the color of the ink can be easily recognized from the outside of the small-diameter portion 80 .

． As shown in Fig. 36 and Fig. 37, the cap 68 is mounted in such a way as to be in contact with the mounting surface 134 of the ink supply container 63, and is in the mounted state. Furthermore, the cap 68 has The annular sealing portion 135 that seals the ink outlet 65 . The inner surface 135a of the sealing portion 135 is formed to be inclined so as to become wider toward the end. Moreover, when the cap 68 is installed, the inner surface 135 a contacts the corner 136 of the ink outlet 65 to seal the ink outlet 65 . Therefore, even if the cap 68 is loosely fastened and installed with respect to the installation surface 134 , the risk of ink leakage from the ink outlet 65 can be reduced by the contact between the inner surface 135 a and the corner 136 . In addition, the corner 136 is a part where two surfaces facing different directions intersect, and may be bent.

． In the ink supply adapter 47, at least one of the first concave-convex portion 62, the adapter-side positioning portion 121, and the rib portion 122 may be formed as a single body. In addition, a configuration may be adopted in which the front rib 122 is not provided among the ribs 122 provided on the front and rear sides. At least one rear rib 122 is sufficient, and the ink supply adapter 47 can be positioned in the front-rear direction by the rear rib 122 and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 . Furthermore, a structure in which no rib 122 is provided is also possible.

． The shape of the tank-side positioning part 113 and the adapter-side positioning part 121 can be changed arbitrarily as long as they can be engaged with each other to position the ink supply adapter 47 in the ink tanks 41 to 45 . For example, the groove-side positioning portion 113 can be formed as a stepped portion formed around the needle 56 , and the adapter-side positioning portion 121 can be formed as a recess or hole surrounding the stepped portion. By disposing the slot-side positioning portion 113 or the adapter-side positioning portion 121 at a position close to the needle 56, the position accuracy of the inlet forming portion 119 relative to the needle 56 can be improved.

． The ink supply container 63 may have a convex portion 71 protruding outward from the outer peripheral surface of the container body portion 64 where the ink storage chamber 76 is provided in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65 . According to this configuration, the user can easily recognize the convex portion 71 when looking at the ink supply container 63, and can easily fit the convex portion 71 of the ink supply container 63 to the concave portion 61 on the side of the ink tanks 41 to 45 during ink supply. As a result, incorrect connection of the ink supply container 63 to the ink tanks 41 to 45 can be reduced.

． It is provided on the first part of each of the ink tanks 41 to 45 as a means of indicating information related to the ink stored in the ink tanks 41 to 45, and as a means of indicating the ink contained in the ink supply container 63. The water-related information is provided in the second part of each ink supply container 63, and besides the coloring information, it may also be text information or shape information. Moreover, the configuration which omits the said 1st part and 2nd part is also possible.

． As long as a plurality of concave portions 61 are provided on the side of the ink tanks 41 to 45, the convex portion 71 on the side of the ink supply container 63 may also have a single configuration. In addition, as long as there are a plurality of recesses 61 , they may not be arranged point-symmetrically around the ink inlet 53 .

． If the plurality of recesses 61 on the sides of the ink tanks 41 to 45 are located at point-symmetrical positions, in addition to a pair of recesses 61 that are 180-degree point-symmetrical, they can also be three at 120-degree point-symmetrical, or four at 90-degree point-symmetrical. and other complex configurations of point symmetry.

． The convex portion 71 of the concave portion 61 and the convex portion 71 that fit when replenishing ink can be provided on the side of the ink tanks 41 to 45 as the first fitting portion, and the concave portion 61 can be provided on the ink supply container as the second fitting portion 63 sides.

． The depth direction of the recesses 61 on the sides of the ink tanks 41 to 45 is not limited to vertically downward as long as it is along the direction in which the needle 56 at the center of the ink inlet 53 extends, and may also be a direction obliquely intersecting the vertical direction. However, in order to suppress ink leakage, it is not desirable to set the direction along the horizontal direction as the depth direction of the concave portion 61 .

． The height of the first concave-convex portion 62 on the inner surface of the concave portion 61 can be higher than the height of the opening edge of the concave portion 61 .

． As long as an identification part that can identify the ink supply container 63 having the ink outlet 65 that can be connected to the ink inlet 53 of the ink tanks 41 to 45 is provided separately, the first concave-convex part 62 and the convex part 71 on the inner surface of the concave part 61 can also be omitted. The second concave-convex portion 72 on the outer surface.

． The two flow paths 54 and 55 that the needle 56 of the ink inlet 53 has are that the end openings of both of them may have the same height, and also may be composed of a plurality of flow paths other than two.

． The ink supply container 63 can also directly form the convex portion 71 or the positioning portion 73 on the ink outlet forming portion 66 instead of the container attachment portion 67 added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 . That is, the container attaching portion 67 may be integrally formed with the ink outlet forming portion 66 instead of being added to the ink outlet forming portion 66 .

． As long as it is an area outside the ink outlet 65 in the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65, the positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 may also be arranged outside the radial direction centered on the ink outlet 65. Not from the outside of multiple radiation directions.

． As long as the valve of the ink outlet 65 of the ink supply container 63 has more than one slit 75, it is not limited to three, but may be provided with other plural slits 75 such as 2 or 4. Moreover, it is not limited to the slit valve provided with the slit 75, and the valve of the structure which does not have the slit 75 and is pushed up by the needle 56 from below and is displaced in the valve-opening direction may be sufficient.

． The positioning portion 73 of the ink supply container 63 is not limited to a planar shape, as long as it contacts the upper surface (supporting surface) 58 of the ink supply adapter 47 when supplying ink, it can also be in the shape of more than one protrusion or Rib shapers.

40: ink supply unit

41: ink tank

42: ink tank

43: ink tank

44: ink tank

45: ink tank

46: Ink supply tube

47: Adapter for ink supply

48: Step difference department

49: ink storage room

50: Department of Visual Recognition

53: Ink inlet

56: Needle (ink inlet runner part)

57: Residual amount sensor

58: Upper surface (supporting surface)

60: Through hole

61: Recessed part (1st fitting part)

63: Ink supply container

64: container body

65: Ink outlet

66: Ink outlet forming part

67: container attachment

69: Male thread part

70:Protrusion

71: Convex part (second fitting part)

73: Positioning Department

74: valve

76: Ink storage room

IK: Ink

Claims (14)

An ink supply container for supplying ink to an ink tank of a printer equipped with a needle for introducing ink, wherein the ink supply container has: a container body with an ink storage chamber capable of storing ink; an ink outlet formed part, which is connected to the above-mentioned container body part, and has an ink outlet at a position opposite to the side of the above-mentioned container body part; The ink outlet forming portion includes: a large diameter portion connected to the container body; a small diameter portion having a smaller outer circumference than the large diameter portion and having the ink outlet, and a mounting surface on the cap. contact in the installed state after being installed; and the above-mentioned cap seals the above-mentioned ink outlet in the above-mentioned installed state; the above-mentioned small-diameter portion is provided with at least one annular convex portion on the outer periphery. The ink supply container according to claim 1, wherein: the large-diameter portion has a connecting portion connected to the neck of the container main body; the mounting surface is the ink storage located at the connecting portion in the direction of the central axis of the ink outlet. The side of the chamber is formed to protrude further outside than the outer periphery of the connecting portion in the radial direction. The ink supply container according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: the above-mentioned ink outlet forming part has a male thread part engaged with the above-mentioned cap in the above-mentioned installed state; The above-mentioned male thread portion is closer to the side of the above-mentioned ink storage chamber. The ink supply container according to claim 1, wherein: the above-mentioned small-diameter portion is formed of a transparent or translucent material, or its inner surface is formed as a rough surface. The ink supply container according to claim 1, wherein: the cap has a cylindrical portion, and a plurality of protrusions extending along the central axis of the cylinder are formed on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The ink supply container according to claim 1, wherein: the cap has a flat portion on the top surface. The ink supply container according to claim 1, wherein: the ink outlet is provided with a valve, and the valve is opened when the needle is inserted into the ink outlet, and closed when the needle is pulled out from the ink outlet. Such as the ink supply container of claim 7, wherein: The above-mentioned valve is provided with one or more slits in the elastic member. An ink supply container for supplying ink to a printer, wherein the vertical direction is taken as the up-down direction, the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction is taken as the front-rear direction, and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the left-right direction is taken as the In the left-right direction, the above-mentioned printing machine has: an ink storage chamber; a needle, which has a flow channel connected to the above-mentioned ink storage chamber and extends from the bottom to the top; and a supporting surface, which is closer to the end of the above-mentioned needle. The upper position extends in a direction intersecting with the extending direction of the above-mentioned needle; and the ink inlet in the shape of a round hole of the above-mentioned needle is arranged, and a pair of rectangular holes connected to the above-mentioned ink inlet and extending back and forth are connected to the above-mentioned The supporting surface is opened and formed facing downward; and the above-mentioned ink supply container has: a container body; and an ink outlet forming portion, which is connected to the container body and has an ink outlet; A pair of horizontal planes disposed on both sides of the ink outlet in the front-rear direction and at a lower position than the ink outlet, and each horizontal plane has two ends in the left-right direction, and the two ends are connected to The above-mentioned front-rear direction extends linearly; the above-mentioned ink replenishment container is in a state where the above-mentioned ink outlet is inserted into the above-mentioned ink inlet and the above-mentioned needle is inserted into the above-mentioned ink outlet, and the above-mentioned positioning part abuts against the opening having the above-mentioned rectangular hole. The manner of the above-mentioned supporting surface of the edge is constituted. The ink supply container according to Claim 9, wherein: the above-mentioned ink outlet forming part includes: a small-diameter part having the above-mentioned ink outlet; and a large-diameter part having a larger outer circumference than the above-mentioned small-diameter part and being connected to the above-mentioned container main body ; and the above-mentioned small-diameter portion has at least one annular convex portion on the outer periphery of the above-mentioned small-diameter portion between the end of the above-mentioned ink outlet and the above-mentioned pair of horizontal surfaces in the above-mentioned vertical direction. The ink supply container according to claim 9 or 10, further comprising: a cap covering the ink outlet and the pair of horizontal surfaces and having a cylindrical portion; the cap can be attached and detached at a position lower than the horizontal surface It is mounted on the above-mentioned ink outlet forming part. The ink supply container according to claim 11, wherein: the cap is provided with a plurality of protrusions extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical portion on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. The ink supply container according to claim 11, wherein: the front-to-rear ends of the pair of horizontal planes are arc-shaped when viewed from above. The ink supply container according to claim 9 or 10, wherein: a groove is formed at the end of the ink outlet.

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